Hollywood's young royalty dukes it out in Cannes

The young guns are gunning for the Cannes Film Festival 2012 -- and they are demanding respect.

This year's festival slate features a veritable Who's Who in Young Hollywood. Each has flexed some serious box office muscle in their young careers, and now they are hoping to show some acting chops. Each is in competition with their respective films.

Transformers star LaBeouf has already earned rave reviews in Cannes for his role as a smooth-talking bootlegger in Lawless. He's no action star (in fact he's the runt of the litter in a tough family) in this, but it's a meaty role.

"Shia has this dying need to be taken seriously as an actor," says Lawless co-star Guy Pearce. "It's hard for actors. Heath Ledger struggled with his instant stardom and wanted to prove himself too."

"Shia's out there wanting to play these serious roles," says Pearce.

Before he finishes off the Twilight series this year, Pattinson too is still looking for a meaty dramatic role, which might come true in Cosmopolis. The film features some racy scenes in the back of Pattinson's banker character's limousine (where most of the movie takes place). He has sex with Juliette Binoche and even has a prostate exam while trying to seduce another woman -- this is a David Cronenberg film after all.

But not the Rob Pattinson we all know.

"I don't like people thinking that they know me," says Pattinson. "You do all you can to surprise people. And hopefully some people will find that interesting."

His Twilight co-star, and longtime girlfriend, Kristen Stewart, will also show a new side in the Walter Salles film On the Road. Pattinson has seen the movie and calls it "amazing."

Zac Efron will also be showing new, adult colors in The Paperboy, director Lee Daniels promises. Even Efron was shocked filming some of the scenes.

"He walked into this movie with his his eyes wide open," says Daniels. "But there were times he was like, 'What have I walked into?' "

After Cannes 2012, we're going to see many of these stars in a different light.

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